Adobe InDesign: Bugs
When filing a new bug, please provide:
- Version of Adobe InDesign, InCopy or InDesign Server
- Steps to reproduce the issues
- Expected result
- Actual result
- Test file, screenshot, video or GIF capturing the issue (optional)
- or
No existing idea results
- ~ No ideas found ~
7005 results found
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Hyperlinks to text anchors deleted when exporting to PDF and using Adobe World-Ready composers
The Adobe World-Ready composers break hyperlinks to internal text anchors when the document is exported to PDF.
Internal document links are composed of a source and a destination. The hyperlinks seem to get dropped when the destination is in a paragraph that uses one of the World-Ready composers.
The hyperlinks appear to work correctly in the hyperlinks panel within InDesign. It's only once the file is exported to a PDF and opened in a program like Acrobat that this issue becomes apparent. When reviewing the output in Acrobat, the destination no longer appears to be present in the document at all.
This does not seem to be a problem when Adobe Single-line Composer or Adobe Paragraph Composer are used, but this is not always a realistic solution.
This is an issue in at least the last 2 major versions of InDesign (19.X and 20.X).
The Adobe World-Ready composers break hyperlinks to internal text anchors when the document is exported to PDF.
Internal document links are composed of a source and a destination. The hyperlinks seem to get dropped when the destination is in a paragraph that uses one of the World-Ready composers.
The hyperlinks appear to work correctly in the hyperlinks panel within InDesign. It's only once the file is exported to a PDF and opened in a program like Acrobat that this issue becomes apparent. When reviewing the output in Acrobat, the destination no longer appears to be present in the document…
2 votes -
InDesign exports out incorrect pdf document when another InDesign file is open and detached from main panel
This is a weird bug that I just found. I'm using a Mac and have 3 monitors. The OS and all Adobe products are up to date. I am not using InDesign Beta. I have two separate InDesign files open and the second one is detached from the primary InDesign panel and on the other monitor. I have the primary document selected and go to File > Adobe PDF Presets > Press Quality and somehow InDesign will export out the other document that is not selected and on the other screen. I have recreated this twice with the same result. This only happens when I have another document open and detached onto the other monitor. The pdf will have the name of the file that it should be. However, its content will be the other file. Hope that makes sense.
This is a weird bug that I just found. I'm using a Mac and have 3 monitors. The OS and all Adobe products are up to date. I am not using InDesign Beta. I have two separate InDesign files open and the second one is detached from the primary InDesign panel and on the other monitor. I have the primary document selected and go to File > Adobe PDF Presets > Press Quality and somehow InDesign will export out the other document that is not selected and on the other screen. I have recreated this twice with the same result.…
2 votes -
pdf to indd conversion has no opt out
INDD version 20.3
Mac OS 15.4.1
Hardware: M1 Pro 32GB RAMThe beta feature that allows InDesign to convert PDFs does not belong in the core application. I've accidentally clicked on a PDF once or twice when trying to open my INDD doc and it takes forever for this thing to do the unwanted conversion. The cancel button does not work. I suspect it's communicating with the cloud to perform this operation, so the question is: Why is it built into Indesign? Can it not be placed in Express or Creative Cloud or somewhere else where it doesn't disrupt a person's workflow?
If a feature like this is going to be rolled out to all users of InDesign, regardless of their needs and wants, it should at least be easy to opt out. I'm not a UI expert, but my suggestion would be to add a menu item to the drop down in the Open dialog that lets users designate that only INDD files should be opened from there. That may not be the best suggestion, but the point is: always consider how annoying it can be to use software, and, when your designing new features, make sure you're not introducing another layer of annoyance to professionals who are just trying to get their work done.
INDD version 20.3
Mac OS 15.4.1
Hardware: M1 Pro 32GB RAMThe beta feature that allows InDesign to convert PDFs does not belong in the core application. I've accidentally clicked on a PDF once or twice when trying to open my INDD doc and it takes forever for this thing to do the unwanted conversion. The cancel button does not work. I suspect it's communicating with the cloud to perform this operation, so the question is: Why is it built into Indesign? Can it not be placed in Express or Creative Cloud or somewhere else where it doesn't disrupt a…
2 votes -
[ID-4263189][CPU Mode][MAC]Selection of objects does not register immediately
I am trying to use the new 2025 version of InDesign - but it is really unusable. Running latest version (20.3) on Macos (15.4). Mac Studio with M2 Max CPU and 32 GB memory.
One major issue I am having is that when I select a text box, it will actually not select the box until I move the mouse again. I click the box and nothing happens. When I start moving the mouse - it suddenly gets selected. If I do not move the mouse - nothing is selected - until I move the mouse. This makes it impossible to use.
I've seen some tip on Document Font folder or Contextual Task Bar or Magnet app - but none of those are relevant for me.
InDesign 2024 version works fine and it does not have these issues.
I did a test on my Macbook Pro (Apple Silicon) - and no issue there - even using the same mouse as on the Mac Studio.
I see some posts that Adobe has fixed InDesign with latest update - but that is definitely not correct...
I uploaded a video to YouTube showing the issue. In the video one can see the pointer icon changing to the selection symbol when I actually click, but as you can see, the text box is not actually selected until I move the pointer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erPZA0_w7gM
Workaround:
- Switch to GPU mode
- Downgrade InDesign to v20.0.1.032I am trying to use the new 2025 version of InDesign - but it is really unusable. Running latest version (20.3) on Macos (15.4). Mac Studio with M2 Max CPU and 32 GB memory.
One major issue I am having is that when I select a text box, it will actually not select the box until I move the mouse again. I click the box and nothing happens. When I start moving the mouse - it suddenly gets selected. If I do not move the mouse - nothing is selected - until I move the mouse. This makes it impossible…
2 votesHi,
Thank you for reporting the issue. We have been able to reproduce the issue and it is currently under investigation.
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Adobe InDesign Team
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[ID-4261684] Hang when "How likely are you to recommend INDESIGN" dialog appears at startup
Twice now, I have started InDesign, opened a book, opened a file from the book, and pressed command-F to open the Find dialog. The Find dialog opens, and I begin to type. Then, the "How likely are you to recommend INDESIGN" dialog appears over it, and the cursor (and my typing) goes to that dialog instead. The spinning beach-ball appears, and InDesign is unresponsive; to recover, I have to force-quit the application.
InDesign 20.2
macOS Sonoma 14.7.1 (23H222)
Apple M1 Ultra2 votesHi,
Thank you for reporting the issue. We have been able to reproduce the issue and it is currently under investigation.
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Adobe InDesign Team
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Paragraph shading disappears randomly when working in Indesign
Expected result: the shading is displayed as it is applied in the settings, also when making an adjustment.
Actual result: When opening the Indesign file, the shading is displayed correctly. But when a change is made in the area with paragraph shading, the shading randomly disappears in some places and the edges of the shading are not displayed correctly, which makes it impossible to make accurate changes in the shading. In the pdf, the shading is displayed correctly, as it is applied in the settings. So no problem there. It is merely when working in Indesign that the display of the shading is faulty.
Reproduce: make an adjustment in the shaded area. Text in colums, anchored objects in text, placed images, shading merged
Indesign 2025, 20.1
Expected result: the shading is displayed as it is applied in the settings, also when making an adjustment.
Actual result: When opening the Indesign file, the shading is displayed correctly. But when a change is made in the area with paragraph shading, the shading randomly disappears in some places and the edges of the shading are not displayed correctly, which makes it impossible to make accurate changes in the shading. In the pdf, the shading is displayed correctly, as it is applied in the settings. So no problem there. It is merely when working in Indesign that the display of…
2 votes -
History panel erases undo option and history steps (behavior different from previous version) and
The history panel seems to be limited to 5 actions. Additionally, with the latest update (20.2), if you access the history panel at all, it overtakes the Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z function for undo/redo as it has worked in the past.
When the history panel is opened, it selects the most recent action. Even if the panel is closed, whatever is done after this point erases all the other actions, so that you are left with "open" as the previous step. Edit>Undo (Ctrl+Z) is disabled, and you can no longer undo work.
Additionally, steps will sometimes combine themselves without any user action. (i.e. while documenting this, in between image 3-4 no action was taken except to switch between InDesign and the screen capture program). Switching in/out of InDesign erases the ability to undo work.
If you type 6-7 characters, you can no longer undo anything prior to that. Open the history window, select a step, then place something.... undo is now limited to the place action; all other history steps are erased (as well as Ctrl+Z undo/redo steps).
This is a huge step in the wrong direction.
There are seemingly no settings related to history (unlike in Photoshop where a number of steps can be preserved). Iteration/layout experimentation is critical in InDesign and this update removes the ability to do that without incessantly creating a snapshot every time you do something or type more than a few characters.
The history panel seems to be limited to 5 actions. Additionally, with the latest update (20.2), if you access the history panel at all, it overtakes the Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z function for undo/redo as it has worked in the past.
When the history panel is opened, it selects the most recent action. Even if the panel is closed, whatever is done after this point erases all the other actions, so that you are left with "open" as the previous step. Edit>Undo (Ctrl+Z) is disabled, and you can no longer undo work.
Additionally, steps will sometimes combine themselves without any user…
2 votes -
blank screen when switching displays
When I have a file open in InDesign 2025 on my MacBook Pro (14-inch, Nov 2023, 15.3.1) and switch between using the built-in display and an external monitor, the document view becomes completely black/blank, though all toolbars remain visible and functional.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open a file in InDesign on a MacBook Pro.
2. Close the MacBook lid, connect to an external monitor, and wake the computer.
3. The InDesign window stays open, toolbars are visible, but the artwork area is completely blank.
4. Selecting all (Cmd + A) reveals bounding boxes, but no image or text is visible.This also happens in reverse:
• If I’m working on an external monitor, then unplug it and open the MacBook to work, the same issue occurs.
• My MacBook is always closed when connected to an external display, and I use an external keyboard and trackpad.Expected Result:
• The document area should remain visible and fully functional when switching between the MacBook’s display and an external monitor without needing to restart InDesign.Actual Result:
• The document area turns black/blank, preventing any interaction with the artwork.
• Toolbars, menus, and selection boxes remain functional, but the contents of the document are completely invisible.Temporary Workaround:
• Saving the file, quitting InDesign, and reopening fixes the issue temporarily.Additional Info:
• OS, external display firmware, and InDesign are all up to date and have been happening for over a year.
• Issue persists across different external monitors.
• Unclear if this is an Adobe or macOS issue.There is a thread here with other people having the same exact issue:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-blank-window-when-switching-displays/td-p/14394779When I have a file open in InDesign 2025 on my MacBook Pro (14-inch, Nov 2023, 15.3.1) and switch between using the built-in display and an external monitor, the document view becomes completely black/blank, though all toolbars remain visible and functional.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open a file in InDesign on a MacBook Pro.
2. Close the MacBook lid, connect to an external monitor, and wake the computer.
3. The InDesign window stays open, toolbars are visible, but the artwork area is completely blank.
4. Selecting all (Cmd + A) reveals bounding boxes, but no image or text is visible.…
2 votes -
InDesign 2025 Crashing Constantly
Indesign 2025 has been crashing consistently since I updated it. The main trigger seems to be when you Option-drag any element. Text, image, shape. It immediately crashes. Any designer knows option-drag is a standard move for design work. This is very problematic. I have restarted, reinstalled, updated OS but still the same thing happens. Sometimes it now crashes when you PDF anything. Update has some serious glitches. Needs fixing asap.
2 votesWe have released InDesign 2025(v20.2.0.036) with many stability fixes. We recommend you upgrade to the latest version (if you’re not already on it) as it is more robust.
If you still face this issue even after updating, please submit the crash report to us. (Guidelines to submit crash are available at (https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/submit-crash-reports.html )
Also, please send the following information to santalwa@adobe.com :
- Reproducible Steps – What were you doing when InDesign crashed?
- Video recording of the crash
- Is(Are) the issue related to a specific document(s)/asset(s)? If yes, could you provide us with the document(s)/asset(s)? Please package the entire document (To package the document, choose File → Package…)
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Adobe InDesign Team
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Stop screwing with my workspace settings
How about app settings like Preferences and Workspace Settings live in the CC profile and it just lives in the cloud? Because you guys can't seem to do the "Retain current settings" thing ever, you have the option and the option never works. Not ONCE, ever.
NOBODY WANTS THE ESSENTIALS WORKSPACE.
2 votes -
Constantly forgetting Workspace setting
InDesign 20.1, as well as pretty much every version since 2019 continually forget my WorkSpace setting, so that when I boot ID, it randomly thinks I'm new, and so it loads the annoying popups and product tours and the almost ubiquitous blue alert at the bottom helping me with saving my settings.
Fix this.
2 votes -
InDesign Kerning Bug – Incorrect Character Spacing Display
I have a bug to report in InDesign (possibly Illustrator). I have already addressed this issue in the community forum, where it has been confirmed by others, so it is not just affecting me:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-kerning-bug-de-en/m-p/15187583/thread-id/613697#M613832There are display errors when adjusting kerning, making precise work impossible. (Kerning is intended for fine-tuning.) When setting the kerning between two characters, the spacing of other characters also visually changes. Please refer to the video for details.
This issue occurs with both optical and metric kerning, at all zoom levels, on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Even setting the display to high quality does not resolve the issue.
I have a bug to report in InDesign (possibly Illustrator). I have already addressed this issue in the community forum, where it has been confirmed by others, so it is not just affecting me:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-kerning-bug-de-en/m-p/15187583/thread-id/613697#M613832There are display errors when adjusting kerning, making precise work impossible. (Kerning is intended for fine-tuning.) When setting the kerning between two characters, the spacing of other characters also visually changes. Please refer to the video for details.
This issue occurs with both optical and metric kerning, at all zoom levels, on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Even setting the display to high quality does…
2 votes -
InDesign crashes when updating review link
InDesign Version: 20.1
OS: macOS Sequoia 15.3.1
Device: MacBook Pro (14in 2021)
Memory: 32G
Chip: Apple M1 MAXI regularly update a large file. Any time I try to update the Share for Review link, InDesign crashes. In smaller files, I receive an error message saying, "There was an error updating the artifact." The link will successfully update, but not without crashing or errors.
2 votes -
Adobe Paragraph Composer interferes with spans and table
My system: MacOS 15.3.1, Indesign 20.1
I have found a combination of column spanning paragraphs, a normal paragraph with Adobe Multi-line composer, and a table, causes a very disruptive recompose fault.
Using my demo Indesign document, type characters in the magenta paragraph where indicated.
Expected result:
The character is added, with no dramatic text reflow.Actual result:
On the first character typed, the text reflows, breaking the spanning so that all the text appears only in the left column and no balancing occurs. On the second character typed, it goes back to normal. See attached "demo.gif" and also the forum post I link to below.Workaround:
Changing the last paragraph before the span (the magenta text) to Adobe Single Line Composer fixes the problem.Test for yourself:
Download the .indd file I uploaded to this forum post.My system: MacOS 15.3.1, Indesign 20.1
I have found a combination of column spanning paragraphs, a normal paragraph with Adobe Multi-line composer, and a table, causes a very disruptive recompose fault.
Using my demo Indesign document, type characters in the magenta paragraph where indicated.
Expected result:
The character is added, with no dramatic text reflow.Actual result:
On the first character typed, the text reflows, breaking the spanning so that all the text appears only in the left column and no balancing occurs. On the second character typed, it goes back to normal. See attached "demo.gif" and also the forum…2 votes -
Shift option drag crashes InDesign
I have used Shift Option Drag for a million years. Roughly a month ago it started crashing InDesign. I removed Plug-Ins, I uninstalled and reinstalled InDesign. I ran maleware, all good. App was up to date. How does that happen out of nowhere???????
2 votesWe have released InDesign 2025(v20.2.0.036) with many stability fixes. We recommend you upgrade to the latest version (if you’re not already on it) as it is more robust.
If you still face this issue even after updating, please submit the crash report to us. (Guidelines to submit crash are available at (https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/submit-crash-reports.html )
Also, please send the following information to santalwa@adobe.com :
- Reproducible Steps – What were you doing when InDesign crashed?
- Video recording of the crash
- Is(Are) the issue related to a specific document(s)/asset(s)? If yes, could you provide us with the document(s)/asset(s)? Please package the entire document (To package the document, choose File → Package…)
—
Adobe InDesign Team
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History panel logs issues
The history panel does not allow some actions to be undone. One is the act of stepping back several steps. As long as no new actions are done, you can step forward again, but as soon as you complete a new action, the inbetween steps disappear. The undo/redo history is also cleared; only new actions completed after that point can be undone. This is a problem because is makes it impossible to test various options and then quickly return to the original option, as I have often done in the past. Instead, the desired option must be set up again from scratch. (tested in v. 20.1, but also caused issues in older versions)
• Actions logged appear to update/condense/disappear when switching to and from the Type tool. For example, if I create a text frame, enter some text, and then apply a stroke, the “Create text frame” option is no longer visible in the history panel, nor can it be undone with undo. If I create a 2nd text frame, all the previous steps for the first text frame disappear. Because “open” remains as the first action, it appears as if no other new actions were completed, but this is entirely false. Losing the ability to undo one’s actions is a serious hindrance. Undo history should not be cleared until the document is closed. I have also noticed there is sometimes a significant lag when switching to and from the text tool, and I suspect it has something to do with this. (tested in v. 20.1, did not notice before)
• Many actions logged are too vague to identify, especially when multiple instances of the same action occur. It would be ideal if, instead of “Typing,” one would see “Typing 123…” Link updates could include a right click option to jump to the affected link. Alternately, selecting a step could select the affected text or object, or a page number could be made visible in the panel. It would also be helpful to save a thumbnail at certain points. (in all versions I have used, current version is 20.1)
The history panel does not allow some actions to be undone. One is the act of stepping back several steps. As long as no new actions are done, you can step forward again, but as soon as you complete a new action, the inbetween steps disappear. The undo/redo history is also cleared; only new actions completed after that point can be undone. This is a problem because is makes it impossible to test various options and then quickly return to the original option, as I have often done in the past. Instead, the desired option must be set up again…
2 votes -
Cannot move spreads
InDesign has started glitching; not allowing me to shuffle pages, and whilst attempting to move objects – they jump un-aligned to the cursor.
I have tried simply re-starting the machine, and I have uninstalled and re-installed the program, but the issue is persisting. Do you know if there is something else that I could attempt to try and fix the issue please?
2 votes -
Cannot drag objects in second monitor
Ever since updating, I cannot drag objects with my mouse if I am displaying InDesign on my second monitor. On my laptop screen it's fine, but if I move the program to another display, I get the red "unable to move" circle. I checked my preferences, made sure all layers and objects were unlocked, restarted my computer, and still nothing was able to move if InDesign was being displayed in another monitor.
2 votes -
Error in cursor position when dragging items
Hello, InDesign is not letting me move objects (or any items at all) correctly. As soon as I click and drag anything, the position drasticaly changes to about 50px upper-right. Beyond annoying, this is getting in the way of my work. Besides moving objects on the page, I can't drag and drop between layers, or reorder pages easily. It does not happen when selecting text or dragging to create new objects.
Anyone know how to correct this? It started last week, out of the blue. I have read some similar issues on the forum, from Mac users, but I'm running on Windows 11, INDD version 19.5 x64. Have already restored the preferences, will try reinstalling the program.
Hello, InDesign is not letting me move objects (or any items at all) correctly. As soon as I click and drag anything, the position drasticaly changes to about 50px upper-right. Beyond annoying, this is getting in the way of my work. Besides moving objects on the page, I can't drag and drop between layers, or reorder pages easily. It does not happen when selecting text or dragging to create new objects.
Anyone know how to correct this? It started last week, out of the blue. I have read some similar issues on the forum, from Mac users, but I'm running…
2 votes -
Cursor not accurate when moving objects
Cursor not accurate when moving objects. Clicking and dragging on an object to move it (text window or image) transports it away - to the left and down the page - from where I am trying to place it.
2 votes
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